Economic Empowerment

The YWCA has been empowering the women of Warren for one hundred years, and we’re still growing.

The YWCA Warren was established in 1916 with a simple purpose: giving working women an economic advantage in a competitive industrial economy. We offered affordable housing and hot meals to women who were making their way into Warren, at the time a bustling urban hub. Over the years we have worked to open doors to economic independence for women through programming and workshops. Most recently, our permanent supportive housing, opened in 2014, is helping 12 women and their families rebuild their lives.

Nationally, the YWCA has been at the forefront of advocating for women’s economic advancement for more than 150 years. The YWCA was the first to pioneer employment bureaus and child care centers for women, critical for helping women to find work and keep it. The women of the YW were prominent campaigners of the eight-hour workday, the elimination of child labor, and the creation of a minimum wage.

That legacy continues today with YWCA women taking to Capitol Hill to testify for Equal Pay for Equal Work, paid maternity leave, paid sick leave, and other initiatives that empower women financially and better their families.